Continued Abuse Closes Idaho Endowment Land Off to Camping
ROCKLAND, Idaho (KLIX)-A 40-acre plot of Idaho Endowment Land in Power County is now closed off to most recreation and camping from continued abuse. The Idaho Department of Lands announced earlier this week that the East Fork Rock Creek area near Rockland will no longer be available for camping or open to all-terrain vehicles after the state agency warned it could be closed because people kept trashing the place.
IDL said it will allow walk-in recreation as long as people don't continue to abuse the area. Last year the agency issued a warning after people on all-terrain vehicles kept going off trails and tearing up the land, left trash and feces. At one time there had been trash services at East Fork Rock Creek but, it was abused and another agency that managed it decided it was cost prohibitive. Agency officials recently noticed when the area opened up for the season people kept going off road and trashing the place. Recreation on state endowment land is only a secondary money source for Idaho public schools and the abuse cut into the money made off the land.